The present invention relates to a connector adapter for a computer and, more particularly, to a connector adapter for use with a personal computer which permits a circuit board of the computer to be coupled to a number of peripherals external to the computer.
A typical printed circuit board that IBM supplies for a personal computer is identified by the reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The board 1 is provided with a retaining bracket 2 at one end thereof. The bracket 2 is formed with a retainer screw slot 3 for connecting the board to the rear panel 4 of a personal computer 5 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. The bracket 2 carries a nine pin video connector 6 and a twenty-five pin printer connector 7 which extend through a single expansion slot 8 in the rear panel 4 of the computer for connection to the appropriate peripherals external to the computer. The printed circuit board 1 is inserted into the personal computer by holding the top of the board firmly and pressing it into the expansion slot as shown in FIG. 2.
Peripheral equipment and custom houses offer replacements for the printed circuit boards or cards in personal computers such as the IBM equipment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. These replacement cards may be tailored for add-ons. One example of a replacement card and connector scheme therefor supplied by STB Systems, Inc. is depicted in FIG. 3. This arrangement is typical of a number of expansion board manufacturers and includes a multi-function printed circuit board 9 which replaces the normal IBM card 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. No D-shell connectors are located directly on the board 9. Ribbon conductors cables from individual header connectors on the board 9 run through a slot in the mounting bracket and through the expansion slot in the rear panel of the computer to an external bracket 13 located laterally of the expansion slots in the rear panel. Connections are made to external peripherals at the D-shell connectors 14, 15 and 16 of the bracket 13. One disadvantage with this known arrangement is that the FCC Class B certification of the personal computer may be defeated due to unshielded cables located outside the computer cabinet.
Some manufacturers provide one twenty-five pin D-shell connector located on the board and leave space for the remaining ribbon conductor cables to exit the cabinet to be mounted elsewhere. However, this type of connector scheme also suffers from the aforementioned disadvantage because of the unshielded cables located outside the cabinet. Ribbon conductor cables extending within the cabinet can also interfere with connectors on other printed circuit boards.
Thus, there is a need for an improved connector adapter for making a plurality of electrical connections to a printed circuit board of a personal computer without risking loss of the FCC Class B certification of the personal computer and without interfering with adjacent expansion slots in the rear panel of the computer cabinet or with connectors on other circuit boards.
Thus, an object of the invention is to provide a connector adapter for making a plurality of electrical connections to a printed circuit board of a personal computer which provides full RFI shielding of the conductors extending from the multiple pin electrical connectors of the adapter to the printed circuit board.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector adapter for making a plurality of electrical connections to a printed circuit board of a personal computer without interfering with adjacent expansion slots in the rear panel of the computer cabinet or with connectors on other circuit boards while at the same time providing a connector adapter which is configured to receive up to four multiple pin electrical connectors from external peripherals.
These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing a connector adapter for making a plurality of electrical connections to a printed circuit board of a personal computer, the connector adapter comprising means for receiving a plurality of multiple pin electrical connectors, means for electrically connecting the plurality of multiple pin connectors to the printed circuit board, a mounting bracket for releasably mechanically connecting the adapter directly to the printed circuit board and means for releasably mechanically connecting the mounting bracket on the adapter.
The means for receiving a plurality of multiple pin electrical connectors in a preferred embodiment of the invention can receive at least four multiple pin connectors with a first pair of the connectors arranged in side by side relationship and the second pair arranged in side by side relationship above the first pair so that the width of the adapter occupies the space of only one expansion slot in a rear panel of the personal computer.
In the disclosed embodiment, the mounting bracket includes means for releasably mechanically connecting the bracket to the rear panel of the personal computer. A slot is also formed in the mounting bracket for receiving the means for electrically connecting the plurality of multiple pin electrical connectors to the printed circuit board.
The means for releasably mechanically connecting the mounting bracket to the adapter includes a pair of fasteners located adjacent respective ends of the slot formed in the mounting bracket. The fasteners extend through and retain mounting tabs on the connector adapter housing which extend through the slot in the mounting bracket to flanged portions of the bracket at each end of the slot which carry the respective fasteners. The fasteners are offset with respect to one another for easy access.
The means for electrically connecting the plurality of multiple pin electrical connectors to the printed circuit board includes a plurality of ribbon conductor cables connecting respective ones of the plurality of connectors to individual connectors of the printed circuit board. The ribbon conductor cables extend from the multiple pin electrical connectors through the slot of the mounting bracket of the adapter to the respective connectors on the printed circuit board. These ribbon conductor cables are fully RFI shielded by the connector adapter housing which extends to position closely adjacent the slot in the computer cabinet. In another form of the invention a connector printed circuit board assembly is used in place of the ribbon conductor cables for connecting each of the plurality of multiple pin electrical connectors to a single multi-function board connector on the printed circuit board of the computer.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the invention.